The Ledes

Thursday, September 19, 2024

New York Times: “A body believed to be of the suspect in a Kentucky highway shooting that left five people seriously injured this month was found on Wednesday, the authorities said, ending a manhunt that stretched into a second week and set the local community on edge. The Kentucky State Police commissioner, Phillip Burnett Jr., said in a Wednesday night news conference that at approximately 3:30 p.m., two troopers and two civilians found an unidentified body in the brush behind the highway exit where the shooting occurred.... The police have identified the suspect of the shooting as Joseph A. Couch, 32. They said that on Sept. 7, Mr. Couch perched on a cliff overlooking Interstate 75 about eight miles north of London, Ky., and opened fire. One of the wounded was shot in the face, and another was shot in the chest. A dozen vehicles were riddled with gunfire.”

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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Friday
Mar112022

March 11, 2022

Late Morning Update:

The New York Times' live updates in developments in Russia's war on Ukraine Friday are here.

Morgan Chalfant of the Hill: "President Biden announced Friday that the United States and other allies would move to revoke the 'most favored nation' trade status for Russia in response to its military invasion of Ukraine. In remarks from the Roosevelt Room, Biden said the coordinated move would deal a 'another crushing blow to the Russian economy.' The move requires an act of Congress and Biden said Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had agreed to hold off on a bill ending normal trade relations with Russia until he could get U.S. allies behind a plan to do so together." ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The Guardian's live updates of Friday's developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The UK government has urged British veterans not to travel to Ukraine to fight.... A total of 48 schools have been destroyed in Kharkiv, its mayor has said, as the city comes under relentless bombardment....The regional governor of Kharkiv has condemned today's attack on a psychiatric hospital, saying it was 'a war crime against civilians'.... Russian forces shelled residential areas of Kharkiv 89 times in one day, the local governor has said. Reuters reports that Oleh Synegubov also said there is no danger to civilians after an institute with a nuclear laboratory was hit. Vladimir Putin today approved bringing thousands of fighters from the Middle East to fight for Russia against Ukraine. At a meeting of Russia's Security Council, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East who were ready to come to fight with Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine in the breakaway Donbass region.... Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda said there was a 'flavour of disappointment' to the decision by the EU leaders at a summit in Versailles not to offer Ukraine a fast track to EU candidate status in their response to Volodymyr Zelenskiy's request.... Russian forces have killed more Ukrainian civilians than soldiers, Ukraine's defence minister [Oleksii Reznikov] said today."

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Friday's developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The northern Ukrainian city [of Chernihiv] has been under intense bombardment, and the Pentagon said Thursday that Chernihiv, like Mariupol, appears to have been isolated by Russian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a defiant address early Friday morning that he would keep up efforts to fight for the city.... The European Union has held off on quickly granting Kyiv membership. European leaders said late Thursday that they had asked the E.U.'s executive arm to review Ukraine's application, but that the bloc would also immediately 'further strengthen our bonds and deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in pursuing its European path.'"

Martin Farrer & Luke Harding of the Guardian: "Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has accused Russia of being a 'terrorist state' after its tanks prevented a delivery of food, water and medicine to the besieged city of Mariupol, and said Moscow was capable of chemical weapon attacks. As Russian forces appeared to be regrouping in order to encircle Kyiv and the US planned to ratchet up the economic pressure on Vladimir Putin, Zelenskiy tried to rally Ukrainians with another video address late on Thursday condemning Moscow's relentless assault on cities.... More than 400,000 people remain trapped in Mariupol, which is surrounded by Russian forces, and basic supplies are running out.... Mariupol's mayor, Vadym Boichenko, said Russia was targeting residential areas 'every 30 minutes'.... Attacks appeared to be intensifying in western Ukraine with air-raid sirens heard in Lviv, explosions reported in Lutsk, and bombing in Ivano-Frankivsk. Dnipro, a major stronghold in central-eastern Ukraine, suffered air strikes on Friday morning...."

Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "More than 40 Republican U.S. senators on Thursday called for President Biden ' to Ukraine after officials quashed Poland's offer to send fighter jets with American help. The senators said in a letter that they 'strongly disagree' with the Biden administration's stance on Poland's proposal, and that the Ukrainian military is in 'dire need of more lethal aid' as it fights Russia's invasion. They urged the president to work with NATO allies on providing those resources -- uniting behind a step that U.S. officials worry could pull the Western alliance into war. American officials have criticized Poland's proposal to transfer MiG-29 jets through the United States as risking escalation without significantly changing the situation in Ukraine, given that Ukraine's air force is largely intact." ~~~

~~~ Why, That's Odd, Because.... Felicia Sonmez & Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) recently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a 'thug' and said the Ukrainian government is 'incredibly evil,' in remarks that are at odds with the broad bipartisan support for Ukraine among American lawmakers and the public amid Russia's invasion. 'Remember that Zelensky is a thug. Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt, and it is incredibly evil, and it has been pushing woke ideologies,' Cawthorn told supporters at a recent event in North Carolina, according to video published Thursday by Raleigh-based TV station WRAL." The Hill's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Steve M. points out that Cawthorn gets some of his information about "evil" Ukrainians from an American white nationalist who has repeatedly warred of "white genocide."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "For the most part..., America's [right-wing] Putin lovers are having a moment of truth.... The problem is that the strongman they admired ... is turning out to be remarkably weak. And that's not an accident. Russia is facing disaster precisely because it is ruled by a man who accepts no criticism and brooks no dissent.... Some of this dictator-love reflected the belief that Putin was a champion of antiwokeness.... Some of it reflected a creepy fascination with Putin's alleged masculinity.... Finally, many on the right simply like the idea of authoritarian rule.... While you might imagine that there are big advantages to rule by a strongman..., these advantages are more than offset by the absence of free discussion and independent thought. Nobody can tell the strongman that he's wrong or urge him to think twice before making a disastrous decision."

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: Donald Trump Junior says Donald Trump Senior was only praising Putin to "play" Putin." As Blake points out, Senior has been "playing" strongman-style leaders for a really long time.

Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "Besieged by an onslaught of sanctions that have largely undone 30 years of economic integration with the West in the space of two weeks..., Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday opened the door to nationalizing the assets of Western companies pulling out of Russia.... With the ruble having lost nearly half its value in the last month, prices of basic goods have risen sharply, causing panic buying at supermarkets. The central bank, which has kept the Moscow stock exchange closed since the war began, has introduced new capital controls, preventing companies from withdrawing more than $5,000 in cash for the next six months.... Of particular concern are Western companies that once symbolized post-Soviet Russia's integration into the world economy, like McDonald's and Ikea, that have now shuttered hundreds of stores and factories. Mr. Putin told officials in the televised meeting that the assets of such companies should be put under 'external management' and then transferred 'to those who want to work.'" ~~~\

     ~~~ Marie: This sounds a lot like "communism," doesn't it? Turning Big Mak patties into beet burgers should come as no surprise to Russian consumers.

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "One of Russia's most incendiary disinformation campaigns ramped up days ago, when its defense and foreign ministries issued statements falsely claiming that the Pentagon was financing biological weapons labs in Ukraine. Then Chinese diplomats and state media organizations repeated the conspiracy theory at news conferences in Beijing, in articles and on official social media accounts. Now, the Biden White House has taken the extraordinary step of calling out both countries on their coordinated propaganda campaign and saying they might be providing cover for a potential biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukrainians by the Russian military."

The New York Times' live updates of Thursday's developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Russian forces were making slow, bitterly-fought advances in Ukraine on Thursday as high-level talks failed to yield progress on ending the war or even a temporary cease-fire. Russian troops were laying siege to Chernihiv, near the Belarus border, where the mayor reported that the city was running out of burial space as the death toll rises. Although Russia has failed to capture major cities in the past week, its forces have gradually pushed forward into smaller population centers. Outside of Kyiv, Russian forces gained control of the town of Bucha and moved southwest in an attempt to encircle the capital. They were also approaching Kyiv from the east, with heavy fighting involving a line of Russian tanks reported in the suburb of Brovary, according to videos posted on Thursday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)


Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "President Biden issued a warning to his party about the possibility of Republicans taking control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections during remarks to Democratic National Committee members on Thursday evening.... 'I believe we have a record to be incredibly proud of ... a message that resonates: Build a better America. Now we have to do the work,' Biden said."

A Very Trumpy Census. Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "The 2020 census undercounted the country's population by 18.8 million people, the Census Bureau said on Thursday, acknowledging that the count had underrepresented Black, Latino and Indigenous residents. At the same time, the census overcounted the number of white and Asian residents, the bureau said.... The 2020 census faced a series of challenges. The coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the count just as it was beginning in April 2020, forcing the bureau to extend its work by nearly two months. Later in the year, wildfires in the West and coastal hurricanes upended the bureau's work just as door-knockers were fanning out to survey millions of households that had not filled out their forms." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) An NPR story is here.

Neil Vigdor & Christine Hauser of the New York Times: "... the Interior Department, led by Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, is taking steps to strip the word ['squaw,' which is derogatory,] from mountains, rivers, lakes and other geographic sites and has solicited input from tribes on new names for the landmarks. A task force created by the department will submit the new names for final approval from the Board on Geographic Names, the federal body that standardizes American place names. The National Park Service was ordered to take similar steps.... Several states have passed laws mandating the erasure of the slur from nonfederal sites." MB: By contrast, Donald Trump turned the given name "Pocahontas" into a slur, too. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Congress cleared the first major federal spending legislation of President Biden's administration on Thursday, approving a $1.5 trillion measure with substantial increases for domestic and national security programs, along with $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion. The Senate approved the more than 2,700-page measure by a vote of 68 to 31 less than two days after it was finalized and pushed through the House, a rapid timetable that reflected strong bipartisan support for assisting Ukraine and a sense of urgency to avert a government shutdown within days. The bill, which funds the government through September, includes generous spending on domestic programs long prioritized by Democrats and military investments championed by Republicans. Mr. Biden was expected to quickly sign the measure, which marked the first time since he took office and Democrats won unified control of Congress that they have been able to enact a spending bill that reflects their priorities, including investing in climate resilience, public assistance programs and unlocking aid for projects contained in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law."

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Michael T. Flynn, a former national security adviser who was one of the most extreme voices in ... Donald J. Trump's push to overturn the election, repeatedly cited the Fifth Amendment before the [January 6] committee because, his lawyer said, he believes the panel is exploring criminal referrals against Mr. Trump and his allies."

But He Loves Turtles! Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "A New York man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with shoving a Capitol Police officer over a ledge on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters disrupted Congress as it was certifying the 2020 election results, prosecutors said. The F.B.I. said that it had identified the man, Ralph Joseph Celentano III of Broad Channel, Queens, from a photo on Facebook and Instagram that showed him attending a fund-raiser for a sea turtle foundation in March 2018. Body-camera videos from the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington showed Mr. Celentano engaging in several other 'physical altercations' with officers on the grounds of the Capitol, court papers said." MB: Actually, I'm not sure about the guy's concern for turtles; he went to the fundraiser with a sometimes-girlfriend.

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge delivered a warning to special counsel John Durham on Thursday after recent court filings became fodder for pro-Trump media and prompted incendiary allegations from the former president himself. 'Keep in mind that the pleadings in this case are under a microscope and may be employed for one reason or another by folks for reasons that have nothing to do with the ultimate issues in this case,' U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said after offering the attorneys working for Durham a chance to correct any 'misinterpretation' of their earlier filings. They declined. Cooper's admonishment came in the case of Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer with Democratic Party ties whom Durham has charged with making false statements to the FBI."

James Wagner of the New York Times: "An agreement reached Thursday by Major League Baseball's club owners and its players' union after months of heated negotiations will allow for a full season, with opening day scheduled for April 7. The five-year collective bargaining agreement will increase pay for young players and better incentivize teams to compete, among other provisions."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "The World Health Organization, often criticized for being too slow to declare in 2020 that a pandemic was underway, now says -- two years to the day after making that declaration -- that many countries are being too quick to declare it over and let down their guard."

Meep, Meep! Ellie Silverman, et al., of the Washington Post: "A group of truckers and others opposed to pandemic-related mandates looped the Capital Beltway for a fourth day Thursday, this time with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who rode shotgun in the lead truck. Cruz visited the 'People's Convoy' at the Hagerstown Speedway, telling crowds their voice was being heard. He then boarded a truck and detoured just pass noon to head into Washington, where he and convoy organizers called for an end to such mandates."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "The Transportation Security Administration will extend its mask mandate for airplanes and other public transportation..., as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works with federal agencies to revise mask policies, the two agencies announced on Thursday. The requirement will extend at least through April 18 at C.D.C.'s recommendations, and will apply to public transportation and transportation hubs. Under the T.S.A.'s rule, passengers on airplanes buses and trains and people in airports, stations and transit hubs must wear masks." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday brushed off criticism from Disney CEO Bob Chapek over state legislation that would restrict discussions on LGBTQ topics in schools, calling the company 'woke.'... The Florida Republican signaled again he is likely to support the legislation, telling people 'the chance that I am going to back down from my commitment to students and back down from my commitment to parents rights simply because of fraudulent media narratives or pressure from woke corporations, the chances of that are zero.'"; MB: Oooh, Ron, you're so tough.

Illinois. Julia Jacobs & Robert Chiarito of the New York Times: "A judge in Chicago sentenced Jussie Smollett to five months in jail on Thursday, ordering that the actor be incarcerated for falsely reporting to the police that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.... Judge James B. Linn excoriated Mr. Smollett from the bench.... His lawyers immediately said they planned to appeal." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Judge Linn said Smollett had faked a hate crime "... for one reason: You wanted to make yourself more famous." It worked. I never heard of Smollett until the initial report of the false claim arose; now I know his name. ~~~

     ~~~ CBS News Chicago: "Judge James Linn sentenced [Jussie] Smollett to 30 months' probation, and said he will be required to spend the first 150 days in jail, beginning immediately. He also ordered Smollett to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city and fined him $25,000."

South Dakota. Stephen Groves of the AP: "South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's cabinet secretary who oversaw an investigation into the state's attorney general for a 2020 fatal car crash on Wednesday urged House lawmakers to bring impeachment charges against him, alleging in a letter that the attorney general was distracted, was untruthful during the investigation and previously traded 'disparaging and offensive' text messages with his staff about other state officials. Secretary of Public Safety Craig Price released the letter sent to House lawmakers Wednesday, stating that the investigation led him to conclude Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is 'unfit to hold the position as the chief law enforcement officer' of the state.... Price's letter did not divulge details about the messages besides one -- sent to Ravnsborg from a political consultant -- that stated, 'Well, at least the guy was a Democrat' two days after the crash."

News Lede

New York Times: "Sally Schmitt, who with her husband, Don, opened the French Laundry, the now famous restaurant in the Napa Valley of California, in 1978, and in doing so helped solidify the valley as a food-and-wine destination and start a culinary movement built on seasonal local ingredients, died on Saturday at her home in Philo, Calif. She was 90."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (11)

A DiJiT fundraising message says "his team" is building him a new "Trumpforce One" jet, and asks for donations.

Would you fly anything "built by his team?"

After one engine failed on his borrowed ride last week, he's also looking for donations for new shorts.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

A PALACE COUP?

David Remnick talks with a Russian journalist who has stayed behind but whose life may be on the line:

What she has learned is that many who have grown wealthy through their service and obedience to Putin are alarmed.

"A lot of very rich people have lost a lot of money and those people understand that in order to get rid of at least some sanctions they might need to sacrifice their guy who brought these problems upon them. So–-is there a possibility of a palace coup? who knows?"
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-russian-journalist-who-stayed-behind

And in Germany the pandemic keeps on coming: Two of my granddaughters are sick, as is their uncle (who is a doctor) along with his girlfriend. All have tested positive but all were vaccinated and boostered.

And in this country we have the Cruz cockwomble riding with the truckers who are protesting protections: It takes your breath away!!!!

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterP.D. Pepe

Deeply depressing but almost assuredly true

https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-real-reason-feds-trump-20220310-fhbuuviedva35a27c3fvokdive-story.html

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterRockyGirl

@Rocky Girl

Thanks.

Great link, tho' the import of the piece does suggest John Adams and his optimistic "government of laws, not of men" was a bit off base, doesn't it?

Hell, much more than a bit, as it has turned out in the centuries since our sunny beginnings.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

"What she has learned is that many who have grown wealthy through their service and obedience to Orange Turd are alarmed." The brighter people with money on both sides of the pond share a distaste for disruptive politics. That includes giving quid pro quos for Mig jet planes for Poles. Sorry: Poles are as trustworthy with democracy as Hungarians as Americans. Maybe I am over-influenced by Eva Hoffman and the woeful lack of capable philosopher kings in this world.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered Commentercitizen625

This is crazy. Some Republicans in Idaho are trying to infiltrate their local Democratic organization so they can vote in a crazy bigot as president. Then they will be able to send money donated by Democrats to Republicans and cancel all meetings to keep them for doing any organizing for real Democrats. It's not the first time they've tried this and of course they falsely accused Democrats of doing what they are actually doing.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Rockygirl,

Depressing indeed. Cynicism, arrogance, and a toxic disregard for the law (except when applied to his perceived enemies) have always been hallmarks of Trump’s OS, and now he’s transferred those strategic beliefs to the entire base of the Party of Traitors.

I’ve been quite vocal about what seems to be Merrick Garland’s overly cautious approach, ie his habit of bringing a plastic knife to a gun fight. But in this case, unfortunately, his concerns seem warranted, especially as laid out in this piece. I’ve mentioned before that prosecutors are leery of bringing indictments they don’t believe will result in a conviction, but I’ve also felt that this fat fuck needed to be indicted if for no other reason than to demonstrate that no one is above the law. But given the possibly horrific outcome, we might just have to let it go.

Nonetheless, it kills me that Republicans constantly get away with (literally, in this case) murder. Does anyone believe that, if the tables were turned, a Republican AG would back off from indicting a Democratic president? Democrats play by the rules. Republicans know this and anyone who doesn’t care about rules knows also that those who play by the rules invite cheating, criminal bastards to win every time.

Fuck’s sake.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

More from the Cowardly Lyins

Everyone knows how far up Putin’s ass Trump’s head has been lodged for years. He could draw a map of Putin’s colon from memory “Oh, and here’s the little bend where borscht gets stuck all the time, innit cute?”

So when Fatty came out glorifying Putin’s vicious war of aggression against Ukraine, calling him brilliant and a genius, no one took it as tongue in cheek (more like tongue up ass).

But then it suddenly became déclassé among many of the traitor class to openly praise a guy bombing maternity hospitals, so now comes the ass-saving backtracking. More cowardice, and lots more lyin’.

And just like a little bird popping out of the clock right on schedule to “cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo”, comes moron Junior to say “Oh, dad was just playing Putin”. Ay-yuh. Okay. Right. First, consider the possibility of an authoritarian suck up like Trump “playing” Putin. Junior has that exactly backwards. And even if that were the case (which it most hilariously ain’t), what would Putin care?

“Czar Vlad! former President Trumpskyev is playing you!”

“Who?”

Playing Putin, my ass.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Akhilleus,

It's not just Republicans, tho' they may be the best best example of accomplished scofflaws in our currently tattered legal system.

But the uneven-handed administration of justice obtains almost everywhere the powerful are able to prey upon the weak; and since we tend to define power in terms of dollars, to no surprise it is the rich, as a class, that we and the law too often allow to act with impunity.

The basis of equal justice assumes equality of person and the less we have of that, the less we have of justice.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I see a trend here...

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

FYI: Kootenai County, Idaho was the home of the former Aryan Nations. There remains many of these Neo-Nazi pieces of shit among the other good people who call Idaho home. Voter suppression is what Nazi/GOP do. The thing that seems to be a continuing surprise to Good People is the bottomless lengths to which the few will go to shit on the many. Joe Manchin and his darling daughter Heather Bresch. https://theintercept.com/2021/09/07/joe-manchin-epipen-price-heather-bresch/.

March 11, 2022 | Unregistered Commentercitizen625

Interesting and ominous: I've a friend whose aged mother is a Trumpie. My friend sent an email this morning her mother got a questionnaire asking about political priorities, usw, and at the end asking for a donation. She did decline the donation. Because the letter wasn't from Trump or one of his PACs. It was from Ron DeSantis. Paid reply envelope enclosed.

This was sent to an out of state voter, so this wouldn't be for this years governors race. He's laying the foundations for 2024.

March 12, 2022 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee
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